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 A CLASSIC RELEASE EITHER SIDE OF THE POND November 17, 2006
John Robert Harrison (USA)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
"Rubber Soul." Like most baby boomers, I first heard this Beatles release as it was compiled by Capitol Records in the United States. It wouldn't be until much later that I'd discover "Rubber Soul" the way its original creators meant for it to be heard. Regardless, be it the United States or the United Kingdom version, this is a classic release either side of the pond! The acoustic-base that attracted me to the U.S. version, much akin to the feel I get from the first album by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, early Eagles, or "Listen Up... It's The Echoes," gives way to much more experimentalism on the U.K. version. Of course, Capitol was trying to stretch out the group's records to allow for more releases and, thus, more sales within the States. That said, songs from the U.K. version of "Help!" would surface on "Rubber Soul" in the U.S. while songs meant to be on "Rubber Soul" were destined for "Yesterday And Today," unique American release that it was. Singles, too, which were seldom included on a Beatles album overseas, would find their way onto American releases, but it didn't really matter to the fans who were eager to hear more of their favorite group from England! While "Help!" remains one of my personal favorites by the group, "Rubber Soul" runs a close second as it shows the band breaking new ground and taking their time in the studio much more seriously. John's words, George's solos, Paul's tunefulness, and Ringo's percussive explorations all make this an album worthy of any rock fan's collection! "Nowhere Man," "Girl," and "In My Life" are among some of John's finest mid-career work while "If I Needed Someone" shows George emerging as a force to be reckoned with. "You Won't See Me" and "I'm Looking Through You" display Paul's pop sensibilities at their best, despite the fact I always think of "I've Just Seen A Face" as a "Rubber Soul" number due to its original inclusion on the U.S. version. Of course, this number truly belongs on the "Help!" album, but that's what growing up with Capitol releases does to someone forced to contend with the compact disc era! Ringo even gets a song-writing credit on "What Goes On," a pleasant country number that would pave the way for "Don't Pass Me By" on the "White Album." It being pointless to go on and on singing praises of the Beatles, a mild fan wanting familiar songs should stick with a greatest hits compilation, but a serious fan of the Beatles or rock and roll in general can't go wrong with this release! Highly recommended.
Possibly Their Finest June 5, 2001
29 out of 32 found this review helpful
RUBBER SOUL is the Beatles first masterpiece, and the original UK version is far better than the American LP. This is how the Beatles themselves intended it, not some hack from Capitol Records. DRIVE MY CAR is an excellent opening track. It was chopped off of the original American record and was replaced by It's Only Love. NORWEGIAN WOOD is about one of John's real-life affairs, and it is my favorite song on the album. It is probably the first time the sitar was used in popular music. YOU WON'T SEE ME, great pop from Paul, and has some fine drumming from Ringo. NOWHERE MAN, one the best tracks on the entire album, and it was cut off the American record. THINK FOR YOURSELF, good track from George, not his best but still very good. Nice fuzz bass. THE WORD, very much in the same vein as ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, but this track is much better. MICHELLE, classic Paul. Beautiful melody. WHAT GOES ON, country song co-written and sung by Ringo. Neither bad nor great. GIRL, more classic Lennon. He dominates this album. I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU, great Paul track, features Ringo on Hammond organ. IN MY LIFE is possibly the Beatles' best song, and may be the greatest song ever written. Excellent keyboard solo. WAIT, more classic stuff. IF I NEEDED SOMEONE, George's best song up to this point. Great lyrics and a hypnotic guitar intro. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is Lennon at his most jealous. One of the weaker songs on this CD, but it features some great guitar work. Rubber Soul is essential to everyone's music collection.
The Beatles start to become more of a studio band May 17, 2002
Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)
29 out of 38 found this review helpful
"Rubber Soul" (1965), along with "Revolver" (1966), clearly representation the transitional period between the "early" Beatles and "Sgt. Pepper." In terms of performance this was the shift from a live band to a studio band, and the influence of producer George Martin is obvious on several of these songs. The growing sophistication of Lennon & McCartney as songwriters is equally apparent, spurned as much by the influences of eastern music (e.g., Harrison's sitar work on "Norwegian Wood") and the burgeoning drug culture (e.g., "The Word") as by their desire to write more than pop hits. This album might offer up a melodic love song like "Michelle" and a simple rocker like "Drive My Car," but there is also the poignant lyricism of "Nowhere Man" and "In My Life." On the one hand, the Beatles are still singing mostly love songs on "Rubber Soul," but on the other hand their is a great leap forward in terms of what they have to say about love this time around. I have also seen a compelling argument that it is on "Rubber Soul" than John Lennon and Paul McCartney start to really become different songwriters (which is seen by some as being the influence of Bob Dylan, a logical explanation to be sure).
Much has always been made of how the "Sgt. Pepper" album burst on the music scene, but "Rubber Soul" definitely begins laying the groundwork. "Girl" especially sounds representative of the "Sgt. Pepper" period, while "Run For Your Life" is consistent with the hits the Beatles had produced over the previous couple of years. The first record I ever owned was "The Beatles Second Album," which, of course, is not available on CD because it was produced in America and took songs off of three or four British Beatles albums. But even before I was aware of these differences "Rubber Soul" was obviously a shift in direction for the Beatles with "Revolver" representing the next step in their evolution, which explains why "Rubber Soul" is #5 and "Revolver" #3 on the list of 500 greatest albums of all time put out by "Rolling Stone" (Yes, "Sgt. Pepper" was #1). I have always thought of the two albums as a set, and I doubt I am the only one who feels that way.
Rating this CD was interesting, because in its day it was definitely a 5, but looked at in the context of the Beatles's entire career it is more of a 4.5 ("Run For Your Life" certainly seems outdated, even by that standards of 1965). However, if there is anybody in music history for whom you automatically round up, it would be these guys. Especially when you go back and really listen to songs like "I'm Looking Through You" and "Girl," and reconsider them in terms of the group's evolution, because they are more than just transitional works.
Love December 4, 2006
My Uncle Stu (Boston)
24 out of 30 found this review helpful
In time for the annual holiday glut, The Beatles, or I presume a corporation that represents the surviving members, have released a new Beatles album, "Love." I guess it is a tie-in to the Cirque de Soleil show that uses remixed Beatles as a soundtrack. I'm not a purist and I have no objection to the new release, I'll be happy to give it a listen at some point. But it served to remind me that I've always considered Rubber Soul to be the single best rock album of love songs. I recognize that, artistically, it isn't the strongest or most profound Beatles album. Sgt. Pepper's stands as their most important album and a landmark in musical and cultural history, and a great album to this day. Abbey Road might be their second best. I always really liked the White Album too. I've heard some knock the White Album because the Beatles weren't playing together on it. But they were still the Beatles. George Martin was still the producer. And they were all in interesting places in their personal and artistic evolutions.
But for an album of the Beatles singing love songs, Rubber Soul is it. Norwegian Wood is a beautiful song as is "Michelle," "Girl," "In My Life," and "If I Needed Someone." Those are probably the strongest but none of the songs are bad. "Run for Your Life" might be a bit unsettling but it does speak to the very real jealousy and aggression that can get mixed up with romance.
Rubber Soul and Revolver tend to get grouped together and thought of as the transitional albums between the early and mature Beatles, between pop stars and composers. I think Rubber Soul stands alone as the album that retains the youthful fun and vitality of the Beatles as pop stars while also having the substance and immensity of the mature Beatles in their more artistic, explorative studio years.
Even Pepper Couldn't Bounce Off Rubber Soul March 14, 2000
Dean Martin Dent (SAN LEANDRO,CA)
20 out of 23 found this review helpful
One of my biggest regrets of being born six months after The Beatles broke up was that I couldn't experience the impact of listening to this album for the first time back in 65(even if it was the truncated US version).Rubber Soul,like Bringing It Back Home and later Pet Sounds redefined the album format as more than a hits and filler fodder.Every song,even if you may not like it,stands out and sticks in your head.Not only was the songwriting at its sharpest,but the recording studio was becoming an integral part as musical experimentation ascented the songs to heights unimaginable in pop music.The introduction of the sitar(on Norwiegian Wood),fuzz bass(Think For Youself), & upperneck capoed acoustic guitars(Michelle,Girl) made the music a quantum leap beyond anything else at the time.John Lennon is the real star here with not only Norwiegian Wood,but also The Word,Nowhere Man,Girl,Run For Your Life(which he later discarded as a throwaway),and his most beautiful Beatle composition In My Life.Paul McCartney was no slouch bringing in Drive My Car,You Won't See Me and of course the sappy,yet beautiful Michelle.If I Needed Someone shows George Harrison's growth as a fine composer.Any act on the same level as The Beatles would've ran their winning formula into the ground.But instead of resting on their laurels,they took their music,along with the whole of pop music to a whole new level.And their best was still ahead of them.
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